Robert Wagner Named “Person Of Interest” In Decades-Old Natalie Wood Drowning

For 36 years, rumors have swirled around the tragic drowning of movie star Natalie Wood–rumors that have, at times, led people to believe her husband Robert Wagner was more than just a helpless witness to his wife’s death. Now, decades after the drowning was called an accident, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s investigators say that Wagner is a person of interest in the case.

The revelations come as part of a new CBS 48 Hours special titled Natalie Wood: Death in Dark Water, which airs this Saturday, February 3, at 10 PM ET. As CBS News reports, the investigation–which was reopened in 2011–wants to question Wagner about the events of that night.

“As we’ve investigated the case over the last six years, I think [Wagner’s] more of a person of interest now,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Lieutenant John Corina on the upcoming 48 Hours special. “I mean, we know now that he was the last person to be with Natalie before she disappeared.”

Wood was found dead in the water off the coast of California’s Catalina Island on November 29, 1981. Also on the yacht where Wood was last seen were her husband Robert Wagner, actor Christopher Walken, and captain Dennis Davern. The main reason investigators suspect foul play is because Wagner and Davern’s accounts of the night’s events have shifted over time. Wagner has refused to speak to investigators since the case was reopened in 2011.

The case was reopened in 2011, with the death certificate amended in 2012 to list the manner of death as “drowning and other undetermined factors.” Those “undetermined factors” may include the numerous bruises found on Wood’s body during the autopsy, which leads the investigators to suspect she may have been murdered.

Wood is most remembered for roles in a number of iconic films, like the original Miracle on 34th St and the musical West Side Story. Robert Wagner made a name for himself on a number of TV series in the ’70s and ’80s, including the long-running Hart to Hart. On film, he’s most remembered by younger audiences as Dr. Evil’s lead henchman Number Two in the Austin Powers trilogy. Most recently he’s had a recurring role on NCIS as the father of Michael Weatherly’s character.

Natalie Wood: Death in Dark Water airs this Saturday, February 3, at 10 PM ET on CBS.